The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1887-02-12

One Of the Nest Noted Cases fa
the History Of the Chprch.
Correspondence

A~SSNASA 0SOOA ~ VIC WAIuC0S OOA IL
a Brooklyn court to defend his nam
against the imputations that wer
cast upon it there has been nothin,
that has stirred religious circles t.
the extent that they are now stirred
by the breach between Archbishop
Corrigan and his subordinate, DR.
Edward McGlynn. So, too, there
has been no case about which 81
much has been written and about
which SO little is known.
1t is certainly the most remarka
BILE case in the history of the Cath
Ollie Church in America. Priests
have left the church or been driven
out of it, but never under circum.
stances such as those that have
caused DR.. McGlynn to be sum
moned to Rome to answer before
the college of cardinals for the
course that ne has adopted in the
face of the opposition of the most
powerful prelate in America.
The questions that are now being
asked, and which cover the whole
situation, are: Will DR.. McGlynn
obey the summons Of the cardinal
project of the propaganda and go
to Rome? Will he recant and
abandon Henry George, or will he
give up his pastorate and 60 out
into the world an unfrocked priest?
There have been some very posi-
tive answers made to these ques-
tons, some right, some wrong.
From my knowledge of the man
and Of his feelings and character
istics, / feel free in saying that
at this writing DR.. McGlynn has
fully determined to stand by his
convictions, and to allow his SUI
periors to enforce the discipline of
the church and deprive him of his
priests faculties.
He may change mind. His
friends are begging him to do SO,
but they have little confidence in
their ability to alter the decision of
the determined priest. And SO the
matter stands.
HE FEELS BITTER.
How does this priest feel who
has been suddenly cast down from
the powerful position that he has
held? He feels bitter; he feels
that he is in meshes that enemies
have been for ten years weaving
around him. He feels that it is
not because of his friendship for
George that he has been punished,
but that this is but a subterfuge.
He sees, too, that there are power
full influences at work against him
at Rome and that his case has been
prejudged and settled. Then he
asks, why should he go to Rome?
1t is useless. Herein his friends
say he is mistaken, and perhaps he
is, but his mistake is natural one.
DR.. McGlynn subscribes to the
belief in the infallibility of the
cardinal. at was q coterie of
stupid cardinals that condemned
Calico" he would say, "and there
is a good deal of the old spirit in
them STILL" Just how much this
influences him in his wish to re-
main away from Rome can be i'm
agined.
Wherein has this priest offended?
His life has been singularly an up
right one. He has spent his fortune
of $4,000 which he inherited in
caring for the poor and the orphans.
He has spent his meagre salary in
the same way. He has been fire.
quently with but one suit Of clothes
to wear because he has given his
others to some one else. He has
defended the Catholic faith with
an eloquence that was matchless in
New York. Then he ventured to
say that there should be no owner
ship in land, and for doing this has
been disgraced. 1t may or it may
not be that he erred in judgment.
/ am no political economist, and
even omit discussing that, but there
are a good many able Catholic
priests who hold the same opinions.
And they say further that DR.. Nc
Glynn has violated no doctrine of
the church in making the utter
ances he did.
NO VIOLATION OF DOCTRINE.
Pope Leo has expressed disap-
proval of such theories, and so has
Archbishop Corrigan, but neither
pope nor archbishop can make
Catholic doctrine. That is promul-
gated by the great council Of the
church. Pope Plus TX approved
of the doctrines of papal infalli-
bility, but Bishop McQuaid of
Rochester, and Fitzgerald of Little
Rock opposed it, and Archbishop
McHale, John Of Tuam," de-
noupoed 1t publicly in Rome, and
it was not until the council at
Rome established the doctrine that
this opposition ceased.
Were the theories that DR.. Nc
Glynn holds fully and fairly dis
cussed in an ecumenical council,
and there condemned, he would
cease to advocate them. But no